Device for developing muscles of the hands and fingers.



No. 677,824. Patented July 2, l90l.

- G. TBOXLER, 1R. DEVICE FOR DEVELOPING THE MUSCLES OF THE HANDS ANDFINGEBS..

(No Model.)

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1900.

INVENTOR: (:U TAVUQ TRQX [Efi 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVUS TROXLER, JR, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN HOLMES, OFSAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR DEVELOPiNC MUSCLES OF THE HANDS AND FINGERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,824, dated July 2,1901. Application filed October 27,1900. Serial 110.34.553. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS T ROXLER, J12, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ExercisingDevices for Developing the Muscles of the Hand and Fingers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel exercising device for thestrengthening or the development of the muscles of the fingers; and theinvention has for its principal object to provide a simple andcheaply-constructed device for the purposes above stated which can betaken in either hand and manipulated in the manner to be hereinaftermore fully set forth for the development and strengthening of themuscles in the fingers or other portions of the hand. 7

The invention consists in the npvel exercising device, to be fully setforth in the following specification, and also in the several novelarrangements and combinations of the various parts thereof, all of whichwill be described in detail hereinafter and then finally embodied in theclauses of the claim, which form a part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figures 1 and 2 are two perspective views of the exercisingdevice, illustrating its use and the manner of manipulating the devicefor the development of the muscles of the fingers or other portions ofthe hand. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the exercising device embodyingthe principles of my present invention, and Fig. 4 is an end view of thesame.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of thesaid'above-described views to indicate corresponding parts. My novelconstruction of exercising device or muscle-developer consists,essentially, of a pair of lower bars or hand portions a and a, which aresuitably curved substantially in the manner represented in Fig. 3 of thedraw ings. These bars or hand portions can be readily grasped in thehand in the manner illustrated more particularly in Fig; 1 of thedrawings and for'the purposes hereinafter more fully described. Suitablysecured to the respective ends a? of the said lower bars or handportions a and a are the free ends I) I of a piece of spring-wire b--one wire at each 6o end of the device. These two wires or bands I) arebent in the manner of an inverted U,

as clearly illustrated in said Fig. 1, and their highest points or partsb are passed through and suitably secured in the perforated end portions0 of an upper bar 0. This bar may be suitably ornamented, as shown.

When the device is not in use, then the spring portions of the wires orbands I) will causethe two lower bars or hand portions a and a tobeforced in outward and opposite directions from each other, therebycausing them to assume the positions represented in Figs. 1 and 4, andthe said bars a and a can then be arranged, as shown, one in the palm ofthe hand and the other grasped by the fingers, as illustrated in Fig. 1.By closing the fingers, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thetwo lower bars or hand portions a and a are brought together against theoutward spring action of the portions of the spring wires or bands 1),whereby sufficient force or strain is brought on the muscles of thefingers or other portions of the hand to greatly develop the same andstrengthen the muscles, as will be clearly evident. By open ing andclosing the fingers the several parts of the exercising device A willsuccessively assume the positionsindicated in Figs. 1 and 2,respectively.

Of course it will be evident that thedevice A may be variously graspedor taken in hand for different finger development, and the device maybegrasped between the fingers and thumb of one hand or of both hands atthe same time, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. An exercisingdevice for developing the. muscles of the hand and fingers, comprising,ICC an upper bar and a pair of lower and movable bars or hand portions,and a connecting I n-shaped spring bands or wires having their .tiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

(C7) as spring device between said upper bar and the said lower andmovable bars or handportions, adapted to normally force said bars orhand portions in opposite directions from each other, but saidbars orhand portions being capable of being forced toward each other bypressure from the hand or fingers, substan- 2. An exercising device fordeveloping the muscles of the hand and fingers, comprlsing, a pair ofmovable bars or hand portions, and

a pair of n -shaped spring bands or Wires having their ends connectedwith and secured to said movable bars or hand portions, and anintermediately-arranged baron said n-shaped spring bands or Wires,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The herein-described exercising device for developing the muscles ofthe hand and fingers, consisting, essentially, of a pair of lower barsor hand portions Ct and a, each provided with end portions a springwires or bandsb having their free ends I) connected with and secured tosaid end portions 01?, and an upper bar 0 having perforated end portions0 though which the highest points or parts 1) of said spring Wires orbands are passed, and are secured therein, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth. v 1

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 16th day of October, 1900.

GUSTAVUS TROXLER, J R.

Witnesses:

FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL, GEo. D. RICHARDS.

